Various vehicles, such as automobiles, are powered by gasoline, diesel fuel, or the like. As such, the vehicles typically include fuel systems having a tank configured to retain fuel, such as gasoline or diesel fuel, and a fuel fill pipe that serves as an inlet for supplying fuel to the tank from a fuel nozzle of a refueling station. In general, a fuel fill pipe includes an opening that may be exposed during refueling to receive the nozzle. An exposed end portion of the fuel pipe is of sufficient size to receive a discharge tube of a refueling nozzle. The nozzle typically fits relatively loosely in the fuel fill pipe so that the nozzle may be quickly and easily inserted and removed from the fuel fill pipe.
Many passenger and commercial vehicles are powered through diesel fuel. The automotive industry continues to produce diesel powered vehicles at an increasing rate. Re-fueling stations provide diesel fuel for customers. Indeed, in Europe, nearly 50% of all passenger vehicles are powered by diesel fuel.
However, many diesel powered vehicles are susceptible to being mis-fueled (for example, mistakenly fueled) with gasoline. Gasoline nozzles typically are smaller than diesel nozzles and may be inserted into a refueling orifice of a diesel powered vehicle. Conversely, the larger size of a diesel nozzle typically prevents it from being inserted into the smaller refueling orifice of a gasoline powered vehicle.
Accordingly, various fuel systems include a mis-fuel inhibitor (MFI). In general, an MFI is a device configured to prevent a gasoline nozzle from being inserted into a diesel fuel tank, or vice versa. For example, one type of MFI includes an inlet having an opening that prevents mis-fueling by nozzles having a diameter that exceeds that of the opening. As an example, the MFI may include top and bottom doors. While an improper nozzle may be inserted past the top door, the nozzle generally is unable to engage the bottom door as the diameter of the nozzle is too large to pass through a passage proximate to the bottom door. Another type of MFI includes a locking bottom door that only allows a complimentary nozzle to fit therethrough.
FIG. 1 illustrates an internal view of an MFI 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the MFI 10 includes a cover 12 secured to a fuel fill pipe 14. The MFI 10 includes a nozzle inlet door 16 and a nozzle outlet door 18 disposed within a nozzle passage channel 20 within the cover 12. The nozzle inlet and outlet doors 16 and 18 are configured to cooperate to ensure that an improper or incompatible fuel nozzle is not allowed to pass into the fuel fill pipe 14, thereby preventing the improper fuel nozzle from dispensing fuel into the fuel fill pipe 14. A restricting device 22, such as inwardly-directed ribs or fins, may be disposed between the nozzle inlet and outlet doors 16 and 18. The restricting device 22 is configured to prevent an improper fuel nozzle from passing therethrough. For example, the improper fuel nozzle may be too large to fit through a passage defined by the restricting device 22.
Even if the improper fuel nozzle is large enough to pass through the restricting device 22, one or both of the nozzle inlet and outlet doors 16 and 18 may include locking features that are configured to lock onto a distal tip of the improper fuel nozzle. For example, an opening may be formed in one or both of the nozzle inlet and outlet doors 16 and 18. The opening is configured to securely retain the distal tip of the improper fuel nozzle, thereby preventing the improper fuel nozzle from pivoting the door(s) 16 and 18 open.
As shown, each of the nozzle inlet and outlet doors 16 and 18 includes a pivot axle 24 that is pivotally secured to a top internal portion of the cover 12. As such, both the nozzle inlet and outlet doors 16 and 18 are configured to open in the same direction. In particular, each of the nozzle inlet and outlet doors 16 and 18 are configured to swing open toward the fuel fill pipe 14 about the pivot axles 24.
FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified internal view of the MFI 10 having leaked fuel 30 within an internal chamber 32. When a fuel nozzle 34 is inserted into the MFI 10, the fuel nozzle 34 may prematurely dispense or leak the fuel 30 into the internal chamber 32. As such, the leaked fuel 30 pools within the internal chamber 32, and may spill out of the internal chamber 32 in a direction that is away from the fuel fill pipe. In this manner, the leaked fuel 30 may spill out of a vehicle.
FIG. 3 illustrates a simplified internal view of the MFI 10 in which debris 36 infiltrates the internal chamber 32. The debris 36, such as dust, may collect on an outer surface of the nozzle inlet door 16 during regular operation of the vehicle. When the fuel nozzle 34 engages the fuel inlet door 16, a front face 38 of the fuel inlet door 16 moves toward a parallel position with a lower portion of the cover 12. Consequently, the debris 36 that collected on the front face 38 may fall into the internal chamber 32 by way of gravity.
Accordingly, known MFIs are susceptible to fuel pooling and spilling out of an internal chamber. The spilling fuel causes a safety hazard in that it may spill onto an individual, and/or onto outside surfaces and pose a fire hazard, as the fuel is flammable. Further, debris that collects within the internal chamber may contaminate fuel, thereby reducing the performance of the vehicle.
Additionally, many fuel additives are unable to be easily dispensed into a fuel tank because fuel outlets of additive cans or bottles are typically not long enough to reach a nozzle outlet door. As such, a path to the fuel fill pipe is blocked by the closed nozzle outlet door.